


With Her

by lesbianfanfiction



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Human, Cute, F/F, Ficlet, Fluff, Love Confessions, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-16
Updated: 2016-05-16
Packaged: 2018-06-08 20:06:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6871501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lesbianfanfiction/pseuds/lesbianfanfiction
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I'm thinking of a quote," Amethyst eventually settles on, letting her mind's eye create constellations in the freckles adorning Pearl's face. "It goes like this: 'They say that you can't love someone else until you love yourself. 'Bullshit,' I say, 'I have never loved myself. But you, I love you so much that sometimes I forget what hating myself feels like.'"</p><p>How Pearl and Amethyst first started dating.</p>
            </blockquote>





	With Her

They say that in order to love someone else, one has to love them self first.

'Bullshit,' Amethyst thinks to herself, watching Pearl pirouette in front of her. They're the only two ones in the dance studio; Pearl practicing her ballet, Amethyst sketching her friend in her notebook. 

Pearl is captivating, graceful,  _beautiful._ Arms that seem as fragile as glass are held aloft like bird's wings, long legs extended, slight muscles bunching as she raises en pointe. She's so thin, merely a whisp of pale, freckled skin and big blue eyes and soft peach hair.

Amethyst tries to capture the way she feels looking at Pearl in the lines on her page, using light, flowing strokes, but it's simply impossible to transfer it into her drawings. Pearl and Amethyst have been best friends for as long as either girl can remember, Pearl spending most weekends over at Amethyst's growing up. They've gone to school together their whole lives, know each other better than anyone else. There was a brief period of time, back in sophomore year, where they grew distant due to Pearl's infatuation with a senior named Rose, but now, as seniors, they're closer than ever.

The shorter, chubbier of the two sets down her sketch pad and simply watches Pearl. She's always reminded Amethyst of a graceful bird, or perhaps an antelope with those legs. She snorts a laugh at the mental image, breaking Pearl's concentration.

"What's so amusing, Amethyst?" Pearl asks, a grin playing across her lips. Amethyst shakes her head, chuckling.

"It's nothing, Pea," Amethyst waves off her friend's questions. "Are you done practicing yet?"

"Hmm," Pearl muses, pursing her thin lips. "I suppose I can take a break."

"Sweet," Amethyst smiles, reaching into her bag. "I brought you a hard cider you'll like."

Pearl takes the drink gratefully, settling on the floor next to Amethyst. Watching Pearl sit down is something of a show to Amethyst; the girl's limbs are all so long and thin that she seems to have to fold herself down.

Amethyst cracks open a beer for herself. She used to have to get their mutual friend, Garnet, to buy them alcohol, as the stoic girl was a few years older than them, but once she got her fake ID, it was all Amethyst. It didn't hurt that she had good taste, and could usually know what her friends craved.

As if reading her mind, Pearl takes a sip of her cider and hums appreciatively.

"How did you know I would like this?" Pearl asks. 

Amethyst shrugs, taking a gulp of her beer. The late evening sun is streaming through the big windows of the dance studio, bouncing off the many mirrors and filling the room with golden light. Amethyst's already-dark skin seems to glow chestnut in this light, and Pearl almost looks ethereal. Amethyst tries to shake silly thoughts like that from her head, flicking her long, purple waves over her shoulder. She's gotten lazy with the dye job, and it's pale lavender, several inches of dark roots showing through.

Pearl accepts her friend's shrug as an answer, relaxing against the wall that Amethyst is propped against. She rolls her head against the brick to look at Amethyst. The shorter girl is gazing around the room, oblivious to Pearl's watchful eyes.

"What are you thinking about?" Pearl asks, quite suddenly, and Amethyst chokes on her beer, coughing fitfully. Truthfully, Amethyst was thinking about how gorgeous Pearl had been while dancing, but there was little chance that she would ever say that out loud.

"I dunno," Amethyst eventually replies, turning to look at her friend. They're close, shoulders touching, and almost the same height while sitting like this. Amethyst looks into Pearl's eyes, getting lost in their endless blue for the umpteenth time. It's like looking into a bit of summer sky, Amethyst thinks, or maybe a lagoon. If she lets herself, she can imagine little fish out of the specks of green and darker blue, tiny pinpricks of color in a blue sea. Her own eyes are so boring by comparison, a simple dark brown, befitting of her Hispanic heritage.

"What are you thinking about?" Amethyst murmurs after a moment. 

"I'm not sure," Pearl tells her, just as quietly. Their friendship as of late had been filled with these moments, where the world stands still and it's just he two of them, staring at each other as if trying to have a conversation through their eyes alone. Amethyst is suddenly grateful that her eyes are so dark, almost unreadable, because Pearl's are so open and clear that it's no wonder Amethyst always knows what she's thinking. Her heart gives a strange flutter, like it has been doing for nearly two years whenever she notices the way Pearl's long nose crinkles a little when she laughs, or how she's always running those long, thin fingers through her hair, or how her voice trills, always just on the edge of slipping into a song.

The quote pops back into Amethyst's head. You can't love another until you love yourself.

"I'm thinking of a quote," Amethyst eventually settles on, letting her mind's eye create constellations in the freckles adorning Pearl's face. "It goes like this: 'They say that you can't love someone else until you love yourself. 'Bullshit,' I say, 'I have never loved myself. But you, I love you so much that sometimes I forget what hating myself feels like.'"

Pearl is quiet, searching Amethyst's face for any hint of her true thoughts, but she finds nothing. Instead, she starts to trace Amethyst's features with her eyes; dark eyebrows, full lips, eyes the color of fresh coffee, cute snub nose. She brings one long hand up to brush Amethyst's hair away from her face. This is nothing new; the older girl hates the way her friend's hair falls into her face, blocking one eye from the world. Pearl thinks that Amethyst's eyes are lovely; she doesn't understand why her friend likes to hide them. Her fingers brush Amethyst's cheek as she moves the lock of hair away.

"Why were you thinking of that quote in particular?" Pearl asks, her heart fluttering like a trapped bird.

"Why do you think?" Amethyst retorts, blushing. She's glad her skin is dark; it makes it harder to tell when she's flustered.

"I don't know," Pearl answers honestly. "Why don't you tell me?"

"Pssh," Amethyst scoffs, defaulting to her sarcastic tone. "Fresh!"

"Amethyst, please," Pearl rolls her eyes, and she's so frustratingly beautiful that Amethyst groans.

"Fine!" she exhales slowly.

On the one hand, she might get to date Pearl. On the other, she could ruin their lifelong friendship.

No big deal.

"I'm thinking of that quote because Of you, Pea," Amethyst mutters, looking away.

"Why?" Pearl asks, cocking her head. Her heart beats faster.

"Gee, Pearl, I don't know," Amethyst snorts. "Maybe because I've been in love with you for so long I don't remember when it started?"

Silence. 

Amethyst's heart stops, and she feels the burn of rejection in her chest. She's about to gather her things and leave when Pearl lays a hand on her shoulder. She looks back at her friend. Blue eyes are filled with un-shed tears, and Amethyst sucks in a breath.

"Pearl, Pearl, I'm sorry," Amethyst begins, trying to calm her. "I didn't mean to--"

She's cut off by a warm, thin pair of lips on her own. She's surprised, but melts into the kiss immediately, one hand moving to cradle Pearl's face. Pearl is warm and smells like lilacs, and Amethyst's head is dizzy with both shock and joy.

Eventually, the pair breaks apart to breathe.

"So...does this mean you wanna go out with me?" Pearl breaths, and Amethyst laughs, breaking the heavy feel lingering in the air.

"Yeah, captain obvious."


End file.
